Automatic valve-adjuster for internal-combustion engines.



A. MYERS.

AUTOMATIC VALVE ADJUSTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FiLED NOV.2. 1914.

1,134, 95 Patented Apr. 6,1915.

Y pinrrnn snares ra ENT @FFTQE.

HUBERT A. MYERS, or TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR orv ONE-HALF T0 ARTHUR s.HICKOK, or ronnno, 01110.

AUTOMATIC VALVE-ADJUSTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

memes. I

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Apr. 6, 31915.

Application filed November 2, 1914. Serial No. 869,790.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUBERT A. MYERS, acitizen of the United States of Amerlca, and resident of Toledo, Lucascounty, )h1o, (business address, 1231 Ohio Bu1ld1ng,) have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Valve-Ad usters forInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the valve mechanism of an internal combustionengine, and more particularly to that portion of the said mechanism bywhich the lost motion resulting from wear is taken up between the valveand the actuating means therefor. This has been done in various ways,but so far as I am now aware the devices previously employed for thispurpose have always required the stopping of the engine, lnasmuch as theadjustment of the valve mechanism was done by manual adjustment ormanipu-, lation of certain parts thereof. In some cases, in fact, newelements were introduced in order to take up the wear and prevent anundesirable amount of lost motion.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a valve mechanismof this kind having means 'for automatically taking up lost motionresulting from wear, whereby no manual adjustment or manipulation of theparts will be necessary.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction tending to increase the general efficiency and certainty ofoperation of an automatic valve adjusting device of this particularcharacter.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure l is a sectional view of a portion ofan internal combustion engine, showingthe usual inlet valve inelevation, and illustrating partly in section and partly in elevation anauto matic adjusting meafis embodying the principles of my invention.Fig. 2 is a detail section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similarsection on line 33 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section on line H in Fi 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of ther nut or cap which isscrewed on the lower end of the valve stem, showing the lower threadedportion of said stem in section. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 in Fig.1.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises an engine valve casing A ofany suitable known or approved construction, provided with the usualinlet valve B for controlling the admission of fuel to the cylinder. Thesaid valve has a downwardly extending stem 2) provided at a distanceabove its lower end with a collar 6 providing a seat for the .lower endof the spring 6 by which the valve is yieldingly held in closedposition. The lower end of said spring is preferably secured to saidcollar, and the upper end of the collar is preferably secured to thevalve casing, any suitable provision being employed for this purpose. Aremovable pin 5 is employed for holding the collar 6 inplace on thevalve stem. At its lower end said stem 6 is provided with square screwthreads If, and the nut or cap C is provided internally with squarethreads for engaging the said threaded portion of the valve stem; and itwill be observed that the screw threads thus provided are of suchcharacter that the lower end by the cam aZ ordinarily employed for-thispurpose, and is provided at its upper end with a bumper d of fiber orother suitable material. This bumper engages the bottom of the nut orcap 0, whereby the rotation of the cam (l causes the valve stem 6 tomove up and down in the usual and well known manner.

In practice, the nut or cap C has a constant tendency to unscrew fromthe lower end of the valve stem, by reason of the looseness of the screwthreads, whereby lost motion is automatically taken up between this nutor cap and the top of the bumper (Z and this tendency is increasedsomewhat by the tension of the spring 0 this spring be ing wound up ortensioned in such manner that it tends constantly to rotate the said nutor cap in a direction to unscrew the same from the lower end of thevalve stem. Con-- sequently, and as fast as the actuating parts becomeworn, the lost motion resulting therefrom is automatically taken up by aslight adjustment of the parts. At the same time, however, the loosenessof the screw threads of the nut or cap C, on the lower end of the valvestem, is sufficient to take care of the expansion and contraction of thevalve stem Z), or any of the other parts, whereby there is always asuflicient amount of lost motion to prevent the expansion of the valvestem or other parts from unseating the valve, it being understood thatthis valve must always seat tightly in order to produce the desiredresult.

The device will o erate without the spring 0 when the screw threads-band those of the nut or cap C are made sufiiciently loose in the mannerexplained; but as a matter of further and special importance, and with aview to insuring greater certainty in the automatic adjustment of themechanism to take up lost motion resulting from wear, the said spring 0is applied in such manner that it tends constantly to unscrew the saidnut or cap. With this arrangement, therefore, the nut or cap C alwaysbears tightly against the top of the bumper d thus preventing any lostmotion at this point in the operating connections for the valve.Notwithstanding this it is also true, as explained, that when the valvestem becomes so lslightly heated and expands the looseness of the squarethreads at the lower end of the stem serves to prevent the expansionfrom unseating the valve.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the as Zelement C is subject toadjustment by the operation of the valve to take up wear. In otherwords, the vibration and jarring of the parts tends constantly to adjustthis element downward. Also,.the spring 0 serves no constantly toautomatically adjust this element G in a manner to automatically take upwear. This occurs, of course, while the valve is in operation andwithout stopping the engine. It is obvious, however, that changes andmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and for this reason I do not limit myself to the exact formand construction shown and described.

What l claim as my invention is 1. A valve mechanism for internalcombustion engines, comprising a valve stem, a self adjusting engagingportion screwed on the lower end of said stem, a spring for closing saidvalve, and means for engaging said portion to open said valve againstthe tension of said spring, said portion being arranged to unscrewautomatically to maintain the engagement thereof with said means.

2. A valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising a valvestem, a movable element'foroperating said. valve, a spring for closingsaid valve, and means on subject to constant adjustment by the operationof said valve for automatically taking up lost motion between said stemand element.

3. A valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising twomembers for actuating-the valve, one said member having a self adjustingportion screwed thereon and arranged to automatically unscrew therefromto engage'the other memher, and a spring for closing said valve.

4. A valve mechanism comprising a valve stem, a push rod for operatingsaid stem, a spring for closing 'said valve, and means subject toconstant adjustment by the operation of said valve for automaticallytaking up lost motion between said stem and rod, including a selfadjusting engaging portion loosely screwed on the lower end of'saidstem, said rod having a bumper for engaging said portion.

5. A valve'mechanism comprising a valve stem, a push rod for operatingsaid stem, a spring for closing said valve, and means for automaticallytaking up lost motion between said stem'and rod, including a selfadjusting engaging portion loosely screwed on the lower end of saidstem, said rod having a bumper for engaging said portion, and a springtending constantly to unscrew said portion totake up wear, the loosescrew threads insuring sufiicient lost motion to prevent expansionofsaid stem from opening the valve.

6. A valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising avalve, an actuating element, and an operating connection between saidvalve and element, including means subject to constant adjustment by theoperation'of said valve" for. automatically taking up lost motionresulting from wear.

7. A valve mechanism for internal com- 'bustion engines, comprising avalve, an actuating element, and an operating connection between saidvalve and element, including means for automatically taking up lostmotion resulting from wear, said means including a screw portion havinga loose thread to prevent expansion from unseating the valve, saidportion having a constant tendency to unscrew and thereby take up thewear.

8. A valve mechanism comprising an op erating connection provided with ascrew threaded element and a spring tending constantly to unscrew saidelement to automatically take up wear.

9. A valve mechanism comprising an operatin connection provided with ascrew threa ed element and a spring tending constantly to unscrew saidelement to automatically take up wear, said element having loose screwthreads to provide lost motion and thereby prevent expansion of theparts from o ening said valve.

10. valve mechanism comprising an oplltl crating connection providedwith a 'screw pansion of the parts from opening said 10 threaded elementsubject to adjustment by valve.

the operation of the valve to take up wear. Signed by me at Chicago,Illinois, this 11. A valve mechanism comprising an op- 29th day ofOctober 1914. 5 erating connection provided with a screw HUBERT A MYERSthreaded element subject to adjustment by the operation of the valve totake up wear, Witnesses:

said element having loose screw threads to RACHEL J. RICHARDSON, providelost motion and thereby prevent ex- Rosn E. SEHNEM.

